He was a frustrating patient, a retired field worker with poorly controlled diabetes and hypertension. I’d warned, I’d pleaded, I’d explained, but nothing had worked. He ignored dietary advice, didn’t exercise and failed to use his medication rigorously. We grew to dread his visits. Then one day he came to the office early for medication refills. His pot belly was almost gone, and his blood sugar

Viewpoints April 25, 2011

If a company is to prosper, one of the first things it must do is hire people with skills, knowledge, capacity and other qualifications that can be put to good use. It goes without saying that no restrictions should be placed on the process of selecting qualified persons from among job applicants.But Hyundai Motor Co.’s unionized workers demand their children be given favors when they apply for em

Editorial April 22, 2011

Cronyism in the legal profession is set to be weakened, if not removed, with the National Assembly scheduled to act on a bill to restrict the practice of law by judge- and prosecutor-turned lawyers this month. Given a bipartisan accord, its passage is almost assured.If the bill is approved, lawyers will be banned for one year from serving as counsel on cases tried or investigated by the court or t

Editorial April 22, 2011

The desire to “do something” about the situation in Libya drove the U.N. Security Council to authorize use of all possible measures ― diplomatic language for military force ― to protect civilian populations in that troubled country. The consensus behind that vote quickly evaporated as Russia and China, holders of permanent seats and vetoes on the Security Council and which abstained on the decisio

Viewpoints April 22, 2011

With no end in sight the situation is turning into a humanitarian disaster with far-reaching consequences After weeks of seesawing firefights, the Libyan conflict seems to have fallen into a stalemate. The Western allies have assumed that they could intervene and oust Libyan ruler Muammar Gadhafi through air strikes. But even with the aid of the allied bombardment the rebel forces have been unable

Viewpoints April 22, 2011

Concern over the degradation of the ecological system in and around the Mekong River ― which flows through China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam ― has grabbed the attention of a leading lawmaker in the United States. Senator Jim Webb, chairman of the powerful Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and its Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, issued a statement recently saying he wa

Viewpoints April 22, 2011

The South China Sea has long been a contention among many littoral states. China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Viet Nam claim all or part of the Spratlys, which are believed to sit on vast mineral resources.Indonesia has no such claim. However, part of its Exclusive Economic Zone on the Natuna Islands protrudes into this vast ocean. More importantly, any instability in the area wi

Viewpoints April 22, 2011

One year after China introduced measures to cool the property market, which were described by some as the most draconian in history, tentative signs of cooling are only to be expected. Latest statistics show that month-on-month prices for new homes declined in 12 of 70 Chinese cities and remained flat in another eight cities in March while 29 cities saw smaller rises in property prices than in Feb

Viewpoints April 22, 2011

The proposed establishment of a bad bank is set in motion by the financial regulators, who are worried that soured project financing loans, if not dealt with appropriately, could cause a financial crisis. At the request from the regulators, creditor banks will sooner or later discuss the details, including how much of money each of them will chip in to set up a bad bank and how much of toxic loans

Editorial April 20, 2011

The number of people who are highly educated but economically inactive has been increasing at an alarmingly high rate during the past decade ― surely an unwelcome reminder to parents that the costly efforts to send their children to university may not pay off.As opposed to the economically active population, those economically inactive are people who do not work and, at the same time, do not meet

Editorial April 20, 2011

The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has abandoned plans to try several terrorists, including the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, in civilian courts. Instead, it will use military tribunals to administer justice. It is a sad decision. The United States should be leading efforts to show that the fight against terrorism does not require sacrificing the very values that

Viewpoints April 20, 2011

When I heard that McDonald’s planned to hire 50,000 people next Tuesday, I thought it was a sign of reluctance by suburban kids to enter the workforce by wearing the Golden Arches.I’m one of the many Americans who have worked at a McDonald’s, which puts me in the company of Jay Leno, Carl Lewis, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Andie MacDowell and Macy Gray. But it’s a bigger group than that. Some estimates s

Viewpoints April 20, 2011